


Ocean's Roar

by teeandrainbows



Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Marine Biologist!Sansa, Merman!Theon, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Slow Burn, meet ugly
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-09
Updated: 2020-12-09
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:27:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27971573
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teeandrainbows/pseuds/teeandrainbows
Summary: There was a faint sound in the distance, or maybe it was her imagination playing tricks on her.  It was almost like music, floating across the waves, reaching out to her, encouraging her to come and find it…Sansa begins her latest research expedition, not realizing it will lead her to possibly one of the greatest scientific discoveries of her career... and turn her personal life upside down.
Relationships: Minor or Background Relationship(s), Theon Greyjoy/Sansa Stark
Kudos: 14





	Ocean's Roar

**Author's Note:**

> Because everyone needs a little Theonsa in their lives. I'm anticipating around 5 chapters to this one, but I'll update the chapter count as needed!

The water was still, calm. Strange, for this time of day. Sansa crouched down, wrapping her arms around her knees as she stared out over the pier. Something had drawn her out here, to the edge of the pier that extended out into the Sunset Sea. A feeling, or perhaps one of the seven gods, pulling their strings to bring her where they wanted her. The wind picked up at that thought and sent small waves rolling against the pier, and she rose to her feet. Sansa shivered involuntarily, although it was the middle of summer and the salty air was mildly warm, even by the coast.

She had come to the province of the Westerlands to investigate a newly discovered species of fish that had been spotted in the Sunset Sea. The wealthy Lannister family had funded the young marine biologist, going so far as to provide a brand-new boat for her and state-of-the-art sonar machines. Robb had told her to be careful, accepting favours from the Lannisters, but Sansa was confident that she could handle herself and anything one of the richest families in the country threw her way. It helped that Casterly Rock College had a brand-new, fully equipped marine research lab. Dr. Tyrion Lannister, the head of the department, had offered her full, unrestricted access to the lab, free of distractions.

How could she refuse?

Tomorrow, she would be heading out on the White Walker to run a scan on a section of the sea, closer to Castamere. Jon was coming with her, as well as Jeyne and Gendry. Tywin Lannister, the governor of the Westerlands, had told her that one of Tyrion’s research assistants, Bronn, would be coming to round out the crew, and she hadn’t complained. At least it wasn’t his grandson, Joffrey. She had a sinking suspicion that the Lannisters were being so accommodation to her because they were hoping Joffrey would settle down with her. Thankfully, the young heir didn’t like the ocean very much. He didn’t like many things, honestly, and Sansa was sure she’d be happier without him on the boat, trying to take control of things and complaining loudly. At least Bronn was a professional in the field. Jeyne was Sansa’s research assistant, and Jon and Gendry had been sailing with them since Sansa had started her career.

Her career that could be made if she could find the new species, document it, and publish fast enough. She was already in a race against time, as Ramsay Bolton had announced only the previous day that he had been financed by Walder Frey and would be setting off from the Twins soon.

Lost in her thoughts, Sansa settled down on the edge of the pier once again, her legs dangling over the edge, still feeling that strange tug. It was different from the other times she had prepared to set sail. She felt as though something important was going to happen. There was a faint sound in the distance, or maybe it was her imagination playing tricks on her. It was almost like music, floating across the waves, reaching out to her, encouraging her to come and find it…

“Sansa,” a voice broke into her thoughts. She blinked, glancing back over her shoulder. Jon was standing there, his hands in his back pockets, staring down at her.

“Yes?” she asked, suddenly aware of her hands resting on the edge of the pier as if to push herself off. She instinctively leaned back, drawing her legs up and reaching for the post to pull herself to her feet.

Jon raised his eyebrows, then extended a hand to her. “We were all going to go see if Westerland seafood is as good as the Reach. Wanna come?”

Sansa glanced back out over the water. The music had faded, but she couldn’t shake the strange feeling that had come over her. “Sure,” she said, taking her cousin’s hand and letting him lead her away.

Seafood from the Reach was definitely better than seafood from the Westerlands, but Sansa and Jeyne asserted that they were both better than seafood from the Vale. Jon and Gendry quickly agreed, knowing they wouldn’t be able to argue with the girls. After a long evening with the others, Sansa bade them a weary goodnight and slipped into her hotel room, changing slowly into her pyjamas after a shower.

At first, she couldn’t be quite certain she had heard anything. A faint sound reached her, a light music, and Sansa figured it was someone watching a movie down the hall. It grew louder, though, and she realized it was coming from the window.

“From outside?” she mused to herself, taking light steps to the window and lifting it open, allowing the sea breeze to waft into the room. The music seemed to get a bit louder, but not by as much as she had thought it would. Sansa leaned out the window, her hair damp against her shoulders. The music was coming from the sea. Perhaps a passing yacht?

It was late, though, and she needed to get her rest before the voyage in the morning, so Sansa turned away from the window and went to the mirror to braid her hair. Finally, she crawled into her bed and allowed herself to doze off.

She forgot to close the window.

= = = = =

They had been at sea for a few hours, and Sansa couldn’t be happier. There was nothing she liked more than feeling the sea breeze on her face as they sailed across the open water.

“Imagine the look on Ramsay’s face when you’re presenting at the conference next year,” Jeyne quipped, leaning back against the railing and shielding her eyes with her hand.

“When _we’re_ presenting,” Sansa corrected, shaking her head and grinning.

Jeyne’s eyes widened. “You’re kidding?

“You’ve been with me through thick and thin, Jeyne. There’s no way I’m not letting you take some of the credit.” Sansa shrugged a shoulder. “I’m not too sure about the boys, though.”

“What about the boys?” Gendry asked, poking his head out from the cabin.

“Nothing,” Jeyne chirped.

Sansa couldn’t help it. She started to giggle, and Jeyne followed suit.

“Girls,” Gendry said, giving a mock sigh before ducking back inside.

“You kids must have worked together a while, hm?” A low drawling voice interrupted the laughter.

Sansa immediately sobered, turning to face Bronn. He had remained quiet for most of the trip so far, only speaking to confirm they were ready to depart.

“I’ve been working with Sansa since she graduated,” Jeyne answered, shrugging. “What was that, two years ago?”

“Three,” Sansa corrected.

“Three, right. We’ve been friends for years, though.”

“Jon’s my cousin, and I kind of forced him to join the crew,” Sansa continued the explanation while simultaneously noticing that Bronn wasn’t making eye contact with either of them, “and he brought Gendry along. Have you worked with Dr. Lannister long?” If he could ask questions, then so could she.

Bronn shrugged. “A year or so. He caught me trying to steal some of the Lannister research and offered to pay me double.”

“O-oh,” Sansa stammered, nibbling on her lower lip.

“Don’t worry, the Lannisters are more than happy to let you take the credit for this little expedition,” the older man said, “as long as you don’t keep the secret of who funded you.”

She nodded, glancing sideways at Jeyne. Her friend shrugged a shoulder, and Sansa drew in a breath.

“Right,” she said finally, nodding. “Thank you, then, for your help.”

“We’re almost there,” Jon called from the cabin. Sansa gave Bronn a polite smile, then went to the prow of the boat. There wasn’t much to go off of in the terms of landmarks (or oceanmarks?), but Jon was an expert at the navigational system. If he said they were close, then they were close. And thankfully, the Flayed Lady was nowhere to be seen, although Sansa was certain Ramsay wasn’t a miracle worker and couldn’t possibly have made it here only two days after announcing his interest in the new species.

A few minutes later, the boat’s motor cut out and they slowed to a stop.

“Have I mentioned I love this boat?” Jon asked, emerging from the cabin.

“Once, twice, ten times,” Jeyne chirped.

Sansa laughed. “Within the first minute of starting it,” she added in a teasing, singsong voice.

Jon rolled his eyes dramatically at the pair but kept his easy-going smile. “It handles like a dream,” he said, pretending to ignore the girls as they jokingly swooned.

Once they started working, everyone fell into a rhythm rather quickly. Jon, Gendry, and even Bronn handled the heavy lifting while Sansa and Jeyne worked the complex sonar device and recorded data. When it came time for the camera, Sansa slipped into the cabin to change into her wetsuit and emerged just as Jeyne was lowering the camera into the water.

“Ready?” Jeyne asked.

Sansa nodded. “As I’ll ever be,” she said, putting on her mask and slipping into the water. It was cold, but she was used to it. Taking hold of the handles of the camera, she glanced up at the others, peering over the edge of the boat. “See you in a bit,” she said, diving underwater.

Here, Sansa was alone with her thoughts. It was her favourite part about her job. Being surrounded by the murky blue-green of seawater, feeling the current brush past her as she navigated the camera. Once or twice she felt something swim past her and turned back, trying to catch it on film. All she needed was a single lead that would give her an idea of how this new species behaved.

Eventually, though, it had to end, and she resurfaced. Jon and Gendry pulled her back onto the boat and she stood slowly, nodding.

“I think I got enough,” she said as Jeyne slipped a towel around her shoulders.

They stayed in the area for a while longer, just in case the sonar picked up anything interesting, then finally started to head back towards Casterly Rock. While they sped off back the way they had come, Sansa and Jeyne huddled together to watch the camera footage.

“That might be—” Jeyne started.

“No, it’s too small.”

“What about that one?”

“I don’t think so,” Sansa mused, staring at the screen.

“Wait. What’s that?” Jeyne asked, pointing at the corner of the screen. Sansa glanced at her in confused, and Jeyne took the device from her. “Let me rewind a bit, and… frame by frame… there!” She paused it, pointing at a large, murky shape in the corner. “It barely made it in frame, but it swam past you.”

“I didn’t see it,” Sansa replied, peering closer. “What do you think it is?”

“Not sure,” Jeyne said, squinting. “But whatever it is, it’s big.”

Footsteps behind them made the girls turn around. Bronn was there, his arms folded in front of him.

“Jon wanted me to tell you. The storm we discussed yesterday, it looks like the wind changed just enough, and we’re going to have to sail through it. He’s confident the White Walker can handle it, though.”

Sansa frowned. “We need to secure the equipment,” she said, rising to her feet.

Jeyne followed suit, and they got to work ensuring at the Lannisters’ investment was safe and secure. It wasn’t a moment too soon, as the wind started to pick up as they tied down the last tarp corner. Soon, it was raining by the bucketful. The wind and waves rocked the boat, and Sansa slipped into the cabin, hoping for some reprieve. Jon and Gendry were busy at the controls, fighting to keep the boat steady in the storm, so she stayed out of their way as much as possible.

At first she thought it was just the wind howling. Soon, though, Sansa couldn’t deny it. The strange music from the night before was filtering through, its melancholy melody calling to her. She swallowed, leaving the cabin and going back on deck. Bronn shouted something to her, but she didn’t hear it. The song grew louder, more clear, and she could make out a male voice, a tenor. She squinted against the pelting rain, shuffling along the deck until she reached the railing.

She barely noticed the storm anymore. It was as if nothing else mattered, not the hands grasping at her coat, nor the sensation of falling. There was only the music. She didn’t even notice when she was surrounded by the murky blue-green, not until there was a large figure floating in front of her. A figure with a human head and torso, but a fish-like tail instead of legs.

The music faded.

Her eyes widened and she opened her mouth to scream, taking in seawater. Sansa thrust her arms forward, kicking furiously, trying to get away from whatever was in front of her. Thankfully, it didn’t move.

 _Which way was up?_ she thought, turning her head every which way, trying to ignore the figure still floating nearby, watching her. Warning bells started to go off in her head. She was losing oxygen, and fast. She needed to get to the surface. Making her decision, she pulled against the water, kicking frantically, heading up. At least, she hoped she was heading up.

Just as she was starting to see stars, her head broke the surface and Sansa sputtered as she tried to take in the sweet, sweet air. She was still breathing in water, though, as a wave passed over her and her head sank under the surface once again. The next time she surfaced, a ring buoy landed near her and she made a grab for it. She missed, and another wave passed, sending her back under.

The next thing she knew, she was lying on her back on the deck of the boat with Gendry hovering over her. She squinted through barely cracked eyelids, then immediately rolled to the side, coughing up seawater.

“What were you thinking?” Jon was standing just outside her field of vision, shouting over the wind and the rain. Gendry shushed him and lifted Sansa in a bridal carry, taking her into the cabin as her limbs lay limp and she rested her head against his shoulder.

“What happened?” she asked, her head still spinning. Her voice was quiet and weak, and she struggled to catch her breath.

“You scared us half to death, that’s what happened,” Gendry replied, setting her down on a cot. “Get some rest, and don’t move. The storm’s nearly passed.”

She nodded weakly and watched as he sat down opposite her. Her eyelids were heavy, though, and soon Sansa drifted off to sleep, her dreams filled with fish tails and strange men.

_Mermaid? Mer…man?_

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments and kudos make my day!


End file.
